Tag Archives: hybrid

The 2017 Toyota RAV4 has upped the game by releasing two new grades: a top-of-the-line Platinum Grade and the new SE Hybrid Grade. It is also offering a slew of standard-issue safety technology through its Toyota Safety Sense P (TSS-P) active safety package.

Based on the pressroom of Toyota, the package contains the Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection, Lane Departure Alert with Steering Assist, Automatic High Beams and Dynamic Radar Cruise Control. These features will support a driver’s awareness and decision making while they are on the road.

Platinum Grade

Raising the bar even higher, Toyota truly delivers through the new RAV4’s full-body exterior and unique badging. Compared to the Limited’s menu, the Platinum adds SofTex®- trimmed seats, dash, and door panels, as well as heated front seats, 8-way power driver’s seat, Smart Key system with push-button start, remote power liftgate, and a frameless auto-dimming rearview mirror with HomeLink®.

The Bird’s Eye View Camera system includes the Perimeter Scan, which will display live and rotating 360-degree views of your surrounding when the car is parked.

The Entune Premium JBL Audio with Integrated Navigation and App Suite system has a maximum of 576 watts pumped through 11 JBL GreenEdge™ Technology speakers in seven locations. That includes a subwoofer.

SE Hybrid Grade

On the exterior, you can expect the LED headlights and taillights, and the front bumper with honeycomb grill design. The SE is special in such a way that Toyota decided to combine three different colors–Super White, Black and Electric Storm Blue—over Silver Sky Metallic on the car’s lower grille.

Inside, that sport elegance exudes with SofTex-covered seats with contrast stitching, a choice of two colors for the interior—Black or Black and Cinnamon. It also comes with a Black headliner, Black A&B-pillar covers, sport floor mats, door sill protectors, and Gunmetal Gray trim. The instrumental panel has twin dials with red illumination and red pointers. This is partnered with a standard 4.2-inch color TFT multi-information display.

The Hybrid gets its power and quick acceleration by combining a 2.5-liter Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder engine with a small high-torque electric motor. It can produce 194 system horsepower, and can go from 0 to 60 mph in 8.1 seconds.

Power derives from gas engine and electric motor, or a combination of both as needed.

The new 2017 Toyota Highlander has more power, more safety features and more model choices. Unfortunately, these also add up to the pricing of this refreshed Highlander with extended trapezoidal grille and flashier LED taillights.

LE

No expert would recommend the base LE trim because of its inefficient 185 horsepower for the 2.7-liter four-cylinder engine and six-speed automatic transmission it packs. All Highlander trim levels now come with a 3.5-liter V-6 engine with port and direct injection that can produce 295 horsepower and 1263 pound-feet of torque. All of these are paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. Standard to it are forward-collision alert, adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, automated emergency braking, and automated high-beams.

LE Plus

Priced at $36,000, it adds three-zone climate control, eight-way power driver’s seat, power liftgate, leather-wrapped steering wheel, softer fabric for seats, and 8-inch touchscreen with HD radio and SiriusXM.

SE

New to the 2017 Edition, the SE trim level can be had for $40,630. It has stiffer springs and shocks, darkened roof rails, grille and headlights, 19-inch wheels, all-black interior with stripes on the seats and contrast stitching. Exclusive also to the SE trim level is the Salsa Red Pearl paint.

Limited

The Limited, which sells for $42,620, can project the Highlander logo on the pavement, thanks to the mirror-mounted puddle lamps. There’s also extra chrome on the bumper, an option for 8-passenger seating capacity, chrome 19-inch wheels, cooled front seats, driver and passenger seat memory, and four-way power passenger seat. You can also opt for the Platinum package for a total of $45,740. This adds a panoramic sunroof, 360-degree-view cameras, heated second-row seats, darkened chrome wheels, and rain-sensing wipers.

Hybrid

The Hybrid models for the Limited and Limited Platinum trims will be sold for $45,700 and $48,820, respectively. The all-wheel drive, gas-electric powertrain is available on the base LE and the XLE.

Hyundai Sonata receives a number of audio and multimedia enhancements for the model year 2017. Though there are a few upgrades too in terms of transmission and powertrain, the real changes come in the form of a larger seven-inch, high-resolution color touchscreen display audio, standard HD radio, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and the next-generation Blue Link Connected Car system based on a source.

In the heart of the 2017 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid is the 2.0-liter Nu GDI four-cylinder engine partnered with a six-speed automatic transmission that has a 38 kW electric motor and clutch. It also boasts of being fuel efficient, thanks to the Transmission-Mounted Electrical Device (TMED) that can deliver responsive and engaging driving characteristics.

To improve efficiency, the innovative transmission uses an electric oil lamp, making it possible for the Sonata Hybrid to solely operate on electric power at speeds up to 75mph by decoupling the gasoline engine from the rest of the drivetrain.

The Sonata Hybrid Nu’s engine can produce 154 horsepower and 140 lb-ft of torque while the electric motor can come up with 38 kW (51 horsepower) and 151 lb-ft torque. The hybrid system, on the other hand, has a net power of 193 horsepower at 6,000 rpm.

The Sonata Hybrid SE has ratings of 39 mpg in the city, 45 mpg on the highway and a combined EPA-estimated rating of 42 mpg. The total estimated range of the Sonata Hybrid is more than 650 miles under typical driving conditions.

The Sonata Hybrid is being offered in an all-new color palette that is going to be available by mid-year. The colors now are Hyper White, Nocturne Black, Metropolis Gray, Ion Silver, Cosmopolitan Red, Astral Blue and Skyline Blue. The interior colors are gray and beige in cloth or leather seating configurations and an additional Blue Pearl option for leather seats.

Honda is altogether stopping the production of the compact CR-Z hybrid, a slow-selling, sporty car that was not able to live up to expectations.

Production of the Japanese-made car will stop by the end of this year, Honda’s spokeswoman Nao Uzawa said. Sales, in fact, have ended in the American market since Honda already started to focus its green technology on the re-engineered Accord Hybrid with its upgraded drivetrain.

The CR-Z was first introduced in 2010, receiving rave reviews at first because of its inspired styling and the innovation of applying an environmentally friendly gasoline-electric system in a sporty vehicle.

The CR-Z hit the market in 2010 to rave reviews for its inspired styling and the novelty of applying an environmentally friendly gasoline-electric system in a sporty ride. The package promised to be a modern spiritual incarnation of the tuner-classic CR-X, blending the best of Honda’s latest eco-friendly technology with its heritage for spirited driving.

Last year, sales of the CR-Z in the US went down by 14 percent to only 3,073 vehicles. Until June this year, the number fell by another 6.7 percent to only 1,025 vehicles.

But even though the CR-Z was made for fuel economy, it never really scored high in fuel efficiency or even in sporty performance. Since then, Honda began working on sportier hybrids such as the three motor systems in the Acura RLX and the NSX sports car.

In Japan, Honda is commemorating the CR-Z with a special edition called the “Final Label.” The Japanese automaker has bigger plans for the re-engineered 2017 Accord Hybrid, which was released to the market this year.

For that vehicle, the annual US deliveries are expected to exceed 30,000 units.

The current version of the Accord Hybrid will be produced at Honda’s Sayama plant, north of Tokyo. It has been making the Accord Hybrid also in the US, but Honda stopped the output last summer to boost factory utilization rates in Japan.

The Honda Accord 2017 models would not only be receiving a beautiful design like the Acura, but it would also be getting an updated hybrid powertrain that offers fuel economy and better performance. It gets a new and more compact battery pack that would increase trunk capacity midsize hybrid class-leading 13.5 cubic feet too.

Referred to as the “ultimate Accord” by John Mendel, the executive vice president of the American Honda Motor Co., the new Honda Accord Hybrid will be the most fuel efficient in the lineup.

On the outside, this is the best looking Accord Honda has made. The front has a more aggressive fascia and bolder grille. It also has blue LED headlights and fog lights, as well as aluminum hood and wheels.

Although there are no big changes on the sides, the Honda Accord Hybrid receives new skirts, contributing to its sportier appearance. It has new taillights emphasized by the long LED piping behind the lens, as well as a better-styled rear fascia.

The Accord’s cabin is sleek, stylish and sexy with shiny wood grain trim and flat black trim inserts. The high end versions would see a seven-inch touchscreen display in the center, which is connected to the second display on top of the center stack.

The lower-end versions have the traditional needle gauge instrument while the higher end versions will come with digital instrument cluster. Then, there’s the Display Audio system that allows connection to Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Under the hood, it has a combined next-gen two-motor hybrid system and an “ultra-efficient” 2.0-liter, i-VTEC, Atkinson Cycle engine. It can produce 212 horsepower and has an EPA rating of 49/47/48 mpg city/highway/combined.

There are three different power modes: EV Drive, Hybrid Drive and Engine Drive.

Honda has not released the pricing for the 2017 Honda Accord Hybrid, but it could start at around $30,500.

Lexus is gearing up for the showdown of some of its 21 models at the 2016 New York Auto Show, which will be held on March 25 until April 3 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in Manhattan. But apart from the 21 Lexus models to make its feature, the company will also be unveiling the all-new LC 500 and its hybrid counterpart.

The new luxury LC coupe was revealed in January at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit while the LC 500 Hybrid made known its appearance just this March at the Geneva Motor Show.

The NY Auto Show will mark the hybrid’s first North American debut, as well as its first appearance with the Lexus LC 500.

The LC lineup basically presents a new paradigm in Lexus’ engineering processes and design direction. It also marks a new beginning for the brand that aims to be recognized for its aesthetics appeal and engineering performance.

The Lexus LC 500 has a newly developed 10-speed automatic transmission, the first ever in a luxury vehicle. This is also the first Lexus to use the all-new, premium rear-wheel drive luxury platform, which promised enhanced performance. Inside, it has a cockpit-elegant inspired layout that is reminiscent of a sports car.

The hybrid car, on the other hand, uses the world’s first Multi Stage Hybrid System, which is the next generation hybrid powertrain designed for performance automobiles. The system can manage to align speed, power and fuel consumption all at the same time. It has the “M” mode too, which promised to give drivers the experience of driving responsive gear shifts.

Furthermore, Lexus is expected to showcase its 2016 GS F, the 2016 Lexus RX, as well as the GS F and RC F “360 Virtual Reality Experience,” which would allow the show’s attendees to experience driving these cars on a professional race track.

The plug-in hybrid BMW 300e iPerformance is part of the brand’s 3 series lineup, albeit this one offers the option to be driven on battery power alone for a limited distance.

The 300e iPerformance comes with a four-cylinder gasoline engine with TwinPower Turbo technology mixed with eDrive technology from models like the BMW i3 and BMW i8. It can deliver up to 250 horsepower and more than 200 pound-feet of torque.

The 3 Series has already upped the bar for performance and fuel economy in the past, so it’s no wonder that the hybrid is even challenging these levels. Aside from the electric system plugged into the 3 Series to ensure even weight distribution and energy savings, the 330e iPerformance will also feature the ChargeNow—BMW’s service that offers more than 30,000 charging points in 22 countries.

The car has a high-voltage battery that is made up of lithium-ion cells. It has a total capacity of 7.6 kWh (gross)/5.7 kWh (net), which enables the car to go as far as 40 kilometers, making it the perfect car for city dwellers and commuters.

While taking a break, the car can be charged from either a conventional domestic power socket or a BMW i Wallbox with a charging power of 3.7 kW. This can full charge an empty battery in two hours and 12 minutes. From a domestic power socket, a full charge will take three hours.

In terms of exterior designs, there are only two changes in the BMW 330e iPerformance. First, there’s a small door on the driver’s side front fender for the charge port of the onboard lithium-ion battery. Second, there’s the lower insert on the rear fascia for the dual exhaust outlet.

Inside, you can expect the center console to have additional drive programs such as the AUTO eDRIVE, MAX eDRIVE, and SAVE BATTERY.

The 330e will go on sale this summer with a starting price of $43,000.

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